虚左以待 — “Empty the left seat to await”
虚左以待 is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “to reserve the seat of honor for an esteemed guest or person of great talent, showing immense respect and eager anticipation for their arrival or presence”. Literally, “Empty the left seat to await”.
虚左以待 Pronunciation and Pinyin
虚左以待 Character Breakdown
Stroke OrderExample Sentence with 虚左以待
Origin and Story of 虚左以待
During the Warring States period, Lord Xinling of Wei, Wei Wuji, was renowned for his profound appreciation for talent and his welcoming nature towards scholars. He held a deep respect for virtuous and capable individuals.
Upon hearing that Hou Ying, the gatekeeper of Yi Gate, was a man of vast knowledge and unwavering integrity, Lord Xinling personally drove his carriage to invite him.
Hou Ying, showing no airs, got into the carriage. On their journey, he spotted an acquaintance, Zhu Hai, and deliberately stopped the carriage to converse with him, seemingly ignoring Lord Xinling. Yet, Lord Xinling remained humble, keeping the left, honored seat of the carriage empty, patiently awaiting Hou Ying's full attention and demonstrating his immense respect.
Idioms Related to 虚左以待
Synonyms of 虚左以待
More idioms starting with 虚
- xū虚yī一ér而jìng静Observe with an open, focused, and calm mind
- xū虚yǔ与wēi委yí蛇feign cordiality and evasiveness
- xū虚zhōng中lè乐shàn善Humble and joyful in benevolence
- xū虚wèi为wēi委yí蛇outwardly courteous but insincere
- xū虚shòu受yì益，，mǎn满zhāo招sǔn损Humility benefits, conceit harms
- xū虚míng名zài在wài外undeserved fame
- xū虚míng名bó薄lì利indifferent to fame and gain
- xū虚zuǐ嘴lüè掠shé舌sweet-talk with glib, insincere words
- xū虚táng堂xuán悬jìng镜scrupulously fair, just, and impartial
- xū虚shēng声dòng恫hè吓to bluff and make empty threats
- xū虚shí实shī失dù度imbalance between reality and illusion
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Open the tool →Questions about 虚左以待
What does 虚左以待 mean?
虚左以待 (xū zuǒ yǐ dài) is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “to reserve the seat of honor for an esteemed guest or person of great talent, showing immense respect and eager anticipation for their arrival or presence”.
How do you pronounce 虚左以待?
虚左以待 is pronounced xū zuǒ yǐ dài in Mandarin Chinese.
What does 虚左以待 literally mean?
Literally, 虚左以待 means “Empty the left seat to await”. It is used to mean “to reserve the seat of honor for an esteemed guest or person of great talent, showing immense respect and eager anticipation for their arrival or presence”.
Where does 虚左以待 come from?
虚左以待 comes from a classical Chinese story dating back to ancient China. The full story is on this page.
What is the Chinese definition of 虚左以待?
虚：空着；左：古时以左为尊；待：等待。空着尊位恭候别人。